This is the story of Cozey Bell, a little Skye terrier who almost made history.
A Dog Worthy of Fifth Avenue
Our story starts with Mrs. Mary A. Bell, the widow of a wealthy merchant living in Manhattan. After her husband Edward passed away, Mary grew deeply attached to his elderly Skye terrier, Cozey. When Cozey was diagnosed with heart disease in 1888, Mary spared no expense, hiring three doctors to care for her ailing companion at her boarding house at 62 West 38th Street.
Sadly, despite the best medical care, Cozey passed away on August 12th. Overcome with grief, Mary was determined to give her canine companion a farewell fit for a queen.
Forget a simple backyard burial. In the 19th century, most deceased city animals met a grim fate, but Mary had grander plans. She immediately contacted an undertaker, placed Cozey’s body on ice, and began arranging the most lavish dog funeral New York had ever seen.
A Funeral to Remember
First, Mary purchased a plot at the beautiful and exclusive Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx for $135 (a hefty sum back then!). The cemetery’s rules simply stated it was for the “burial of the dead,” and Mary figured that included her beloved dog. Yes, really.
She then tried to get an official death certificate from the Board of Health. When the clerk asked for the "parents' names," her doctor had to sheepishly present a letter explaining the deceased was, in fact, a 16-year-old Skye terrier. While the Health Department couldn't issue a permit for a dog, they saw no issue as long as the cemetery agreed.
With the paperwork sorted, preparations went into high gear. Mary ordered a custom-made, child-sized chestnut casket, covered in royal purple velvet and lined with light blue satin. A silver plate on the lid was engraved: “Cozey Bell, Died Aug. 12, 1888.”
On August 15th, the day of the funeral, Mary carefully parted and perfumed Cozey’s hair, placing her head on a pink satin pillow inside the magnificent casket. A small funeral procession then made its way up Fifth Avenue to Grand Central Station, where they boarded the 5:15 p.m. train to Woodlawn.
At the cemetery, a tent was set up in the scenic Sylvan Dell Plot. Mary read a eulogy, and the casket was opened one last time for the mourners to say their goodbyes. The whole affair, including a planned marble monument, cost around $500—an astronomical amount for a pet burial at the time.
The Scandal Erupts
News of the canine interment spread like wildfire. And New Yorkers were *not* happy about it.
When Mary told the press she planned to have her late husband’s body moved from its grave upstate to be re-interred next to Cozey, the city lost its mind. Newspapers from New York to Australia reported on the "disgusting" and "beastly" spectacle.
One Buffalo paper raged, “this is in Christian land, where thousands of poor, little children go daily without bread… Mrs. Bell should be ashamed of such a vile exhibition of heartlessness!”
The outrage reached the ears of Woodlawn Cemetery's top brass, who had been out of town during the funeral. Horrified, Vice President Kaleb B. Knevals rushed to the cemetery. He informed a stunned Mrs. Bell that a dog could absolutely not be buried there and ordered her to have Cozey’s casket dug up immediately. If she refused, he threatened, they would disinter the dog themselves and move it to the cemetery barnyard.
Cozey’s Final Resting Place
Faced with public fury and the cemetery’s ultimatum, Mary Bell had to comply. Cozey was quietly removed from her lavish plot and, according to reports, buried privately somewhere else. The grand marble monument was never installed.
The tale of Cozey Bell quickly became a New York legend—a quirky, charming, and slightly scandalous reminder of the incredible bond between people and their pets.
It would take another 128 years before New York State passed a law in 2016 allowing cemeteries to offer the option for people to be buried with the cremated remains of their pets. Mary Bell was simply a century ahead of her time.
So, if you ever find yourself wandering through the stunning grounds of Woodlawn Cemetery, take a moment to find the Sylvan Dell Plot. While you won’t find a marker for Cozey, you can smile knowing you’re standing at the site of one of the most audacious and love-filled acts in New York City's animal history.
